Ban fracking, urges NFU

Editor: An open letter to Environment, Labour and Justice Minister Janice Sherry:

The National Farmers Union in this province fully supports the recommendation of the Select Standing Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Energy that a moratorium be put in place on high- volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in this province.

We strongly urge your government to implement this recommendation. In fact, we would hope that you would see fit to permanently ban this practice in P.E.I.

As a farm organization, the National Farmers Union strongly opposes “fracking” for many reasons. We are very concerned with the chemical/water cocktail that is blasted into the ground and the fact that between 30 and 70 per cent of that fluid is left in the ground. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic and others are toxic.

This will undoubtedly lead to the contamination of our aquifers which is very serious. We feel very strongly that fracking will present problems for our primary industries of agriculture, fisheries and tourism. We all know the Island bedrock is not suitable for fracking, and we are concerned as well about the damage to our highways system caused by high- volume truck traffic. Exorbitant use of water is cause for concern.

We strongly urge the government of P.E.I. to follow the lead of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia and place a moratorium on fracking in this province. Better yet, we would hope to see the practice completely banned in this province.